The present invention relates to a method for severing a rod in slices and more particularly in disks by means of a slicing machine, in which the slices are taken over and removed by means of a vacuum chuck when the slicing of material is completed. Methods, particularly slicing machines for slicing rods from hard material, e.g. silicon into thin disks (wafers) are known. The slicing machines usually have an inside diameter (i.d.) annular saw blade in which an abraisive coated thickened inner edge of an annular, rotating slicing saw blade slices the rod. Particular problems arise with respect to the removing of the wafers of hard, relatively brittle material sliced from the rod. If at the time of slicing of the rod, too strong residual forces are exerted on the sliced wafer, there exists a danger of a broken edge on the wafer or on the rod immediately before the completion of the separation of the wafer from the rod. Such breaks are not acceptable so a cutting base of soft material is molded or glued along a line on the surface of the rod at the location at which the wafer leaves the rod after each slicing operation. The cutting base still has to be cut through in order for the wafer produced to be removed. Finally, each wafer must be freed from the cutting base which adheres to it (EP-A-O 079 744). Such a procedure consumes too much material and time and therefore is not attractive. It is further known from FR-A-2 360 488 to proceed without a cutting base and to seize each disk by means of a resilient, conical membrane shortly before the completion of the cutting-off operation. In such case, the membrane is sucked by vacuum. However, a safe control of the force acting on the membrane under suction is not possible.